Direction-indicator for vehicles.



A. B. GUSTAFSON.

DIREC'HON INDHUTOR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 0mm). i9 l6.

1,236,707. I Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I I 1 IN "'ENTOR.

a; r M) ATTORNEY.

ALBIN ".B. GUSTAFSON, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOB VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14. 1917'.

Application filed December 28, 1916, Serial No. 138,915.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBIN B..GUSTAFSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDirection-Indicators for Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had there in to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to direction indicators for vehicles such asautomobiles or the like, and has special reference to the particularform of indicator and mechanism for operating same.

The principal object is to produce a device of this character of simpleconstruction and one in. which the danger of becoming inoperative by theaction of inclement weather is reducedto a minimum.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the further description ofthe device.

flnrthe accompanying drawings forming part of this application and inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sec tiolialview partly in elevationof my improved indicator.

Fig. 2 is a. transverse sectional view on the line A-B, Fig. 1, lookingrearwardly.

' Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the indi- 'c'ator, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the elec trical controlling mechanism.

1 represents a cylindrical shaped indicator housing upon the rear end ofwhich, mounted in any desired manner, the convex cap 2 and .the oppositeend having the usual glass 3 and reflector 4 carried in similar lights.Upon the front end of the housing 1 is formed integral therewith ahollow upstanding extension 5, which carries upon its uppermost frontface an electric globe 6 of somewhat similar form to the globe 7 withinthe reflector 4 though preferably of less brilliancy and which globemay, as desired, be of a. different color to that of the globe 7. Theentire indicator is revolubly carried upon a hollow shaft 8 supported inany desired manner upon the vehicle.

The bearings upon the shaft which support the light comprise thetransverse plate 9 soldered or fixed in any desired manner to the inneropposite side walls of the body 1, the vertical plate 10 shown asfixed'tn the walls of the body by means of suitable rivets 11 which alsounites the cap 52 to the body, and the hub like extension 12 upon thecap 2.

The indicator body is held longitudinally upon the shaft 8 by an annularshoulder being formed upon the latter as at l2 and against which the.plate 10 normally abuts, the shaft forward of said plate being smallerin diameter than that at the rear thereof and which smaller portion 13extends through the. plate 9 and is held therein by a suitable cotterpin 14. Suitable frictional condition between the indicator and theshaft to prevent its loosely and undesirably revolving upon the shaft isaccomplished by means of an expansive spiral. spring 15 placed about theshaft 8 intermediate of a suitable set collar 16 fixed to the shaft andthe plate 10, said spring maintaining at all times a slight thrust uponthe plate '10 to produce the desired frictional contact and it isevident that the set collar may be ad justed longitudinally of the shaftto vary this frictional contact as desired.

Upon the portion 13 of the shaft 8 and intern'icdiate of the plates 9and 10 is se curcly fixed as by suitable setscrews 17 an upwardlyextending radial arm 18, having formed integral therewith a roundsemi-circular shaped solenoid core formed eoncentrically with theindicator body.

Within the lower half of the indicator body and formed concentricallytherewith are two quadric-ircular solenoids 20 and 21, they beingsupported in any desired manner to the inner wall. of the indicator andplate 10, as for example, by soldering at the ends thereof. Thesesolenoids are positioned in proper circular alinement with the twohalves of the core 19 in such a manner that the latter is influenced bythe electric energy of the former and that alternately to accomplish thedesired results. The wire connections to the solenoids'are not shownother than in the diagrammatic view as they may be concealed or formedin various ways, but

are made through the hollow shaft 8 similar to the other electricconnect-ions.

All of the wiring to the indicator will preferably pass through a.suitable opening as at 22 to the interior of the shaft 8 and extendthrough the extreme inner end thereof to the globes 6 and 7 and to thesolenoids- A hollow offset portion 23 is formed at the base of the rearwall of the extension 5 in such a manner as to produce 4U v nal verticalposition.

'hen desired itd' operate the indicator "in the face, theswitch asuitable conduit vl'or the wires leading to the globe 6. In the bottomof the indicator housing may be placed any desired form of counterweight 22 lo no 'ierly balance the indicator upon "he shaft. and causeit to remain normally with the globe G in vertical alinelnent with theglobe 7, as is obvious.

In a. practical application of my device to a vehicle as illustrated inFig. 5, a plurality of indicators may be employed as for example, one inthe center of the ear forward, one in the rear and one or more at thesides, as desired, it being possible that one at the forward endaud oneat the rear "'Nl prising a llHllZ()l'lt:lll V (llfilJOStKl shaftfsupmayanswer every pl'ilt'llt'ill purpose, they being operatedsi'mull'aueouslyby a suitable switchifi located in-au'y desirableaccessible position to the operator ol the vehicle. 'lhe electric energymay be derived from a bat. tery or other source as des red am isindicated at 26.

The operation of the device is as follows, when it is desired to open:to the imliealor in a elockwise' direction. \z'fjujing] it -1'romsthrown tor-eon.- tact position with the poiul ".f7'\\'hielr will closethe circuit-in. the wires passing around the'solenoid 2()..-llhis willtend to draw that portion'of the' eore 19 designed to co operatetherewith "within said solenoid, but. the core beingheld"stationary bybeiuv fixed to the shaft, the soleuoid, il.self mu "he obliged torespiiuil tolthedrawing influence and-be carried longitudinallytliecore, thus wirrylng with it the hudyofthe' indicator, it

being attached thereto and which'avill rock tbQjLl'lll 5 in aclockwisedirection! When the switch is returned to' its originalposition and the circuit opened, the counter balance-of the Indicatorwill return it to norananti-clockwise direction, the switch 25 e thecontact point 28 wi 1l-'. closeft eacircuit- 'through the l whichsolenoid 21 and correspondingly operate the indicator in the directionopposite "to that first described.

From the foregoing it is evident that l lune devised a simple form ofrevoluble direction indicator, which may bemilluminaled at night andmade of a suitable color to'be readily seen in the day time and thatsleet, rain or snow can not well interfere with the successful 0 erationof the device.

llaving thus deseri )ed my invention what l {-laiin and desire to.secure byLetters Patent, is:.-

l. direction indicator [or vehicles comported by the vehicle, arevoluble housing earried by the shaft, a normally upstanding extensionupon the forward end of thehousing, a light carried in the housing, alight (:an'ied; in the upper end of .the extens on electricallycontrolled, 'means within the housing tor-rocking. the same in eitherdireci tiou', and means for normally maintaining tl'unhousing in aposition in. which the extension is disposed vertically 'abovetheeentel-of; the :housing.

' An indicator for vehicles, comprising a fixed shaft, a. cylindricalhousing revolu 'blyearried by the shaft,;a direction indieat-ir'extending rmliall-y from the housing fand .'.arrying a light, a lightlocated centrally within the f IWYlll'lliQlld ol' the huus- 'in a pair,oli omiositely. disposed quadrifcirel'llar shapedvpylindrical solenoidsfixed "iv itliin the housing, a core lixed to the shaft 'and designed tocooperate with the solenoids and means whereby the solenoids are sepa-.ratel y (energized. 1

'-'In testimony whereof I hereurto allix my "signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

I ALBIN B. GUSTAFSON. i" Witnesses.

lV. H. DENIIAM, S. Guo. Smvuns.

